WARNING! This article contains SPOILERS for Abigail (2024)!

Summary

• Abigail cleverly blends classic John Hughes comedy elements with horror themes for a successful vampire slayer team premise.
• The film received critical acclaim with an 82% score on Rotten Tomatoes, outshining other vampire movies of the past decade.
• Abigail's "rat pack" of criminals mirrors The Breakfast Club's distinctive teens, uniting under dire circumstances to fight a vampire.

Universal’s new horror film Abigail utilizes part of the premise of a classic John Hughes comedy for its reluctant vampire slayer team, which smartly elevates the themes of the 2024 movie. Abigail, the latest horror satire from Scream VI and Ready or Not directing team Radio Silence, follows a group of strangers who are recruited for a heist in which they must kidnap a 12-year-old girl and hold her for ransom overnight. The characters quickly discover that Abigail is actually the daughter of a dangerous crime lord and a centuries-old vampire, quickly plummeting their chances of surviving until dawn.

Though recent movies like Renfield and The Last Voyage of the Demeter have attempted to revive the vampire subgenre while paying homage to the films that came before them, few have done so with as much critical success as Abigail. The movie, which stars Scream’s Melissa Barrera, debuted with an 82% score from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, which exceeds the scores of most other vampire movies from the past decade. Though set in the present day, Abigail’s refreshing premise and horror twists are also aided by its homages to classic ‘80s movies, which include one of John Hughes’ most beloved teen comedies.

Abigail Puts A Horror Twist On John Hughes' The Breakfast Club

Abigail's "Rat Pack" finds similarities to The Breakfast Club's "Brat Pack"

Ahead of the movie’s premiere, the cast told Screen Rant that Abigail was like the “horror Breakfast Club,” alluding to the eclectic group brought together to form the 2024 film’s “rat pack.” The Radio Silence movie certainly lived up to this comparison, with the main group of criminals each coming from completely different backgrounds, ways of life, and personal struggles that led to them being placed in the heist team – not unlike how The Breakfast Club’s distinctive teens end up in detention. Of course, Abigail raises the stakes by having the group set aside their differences to fight a vampire instead of getting through a Saturday in detention.

The Breakfast Club (1985) is available to stream on Max.

At one point in Abigail, the characters go around the room and analyze one another, with Melissa Barrera’s Joey being able to accurately decipher their backgrounds and skill sets. Similar to The Breakfast Club’s ending in which each member of the group is categorized – brain, athlete, princess, basket case, and criminal – by how others see them, Abigail’s heist team is given a description of themselves that separates them from the others: the Medic (Joey), the Ex-Cop (Frank), the Hacker (Sammy), the Ex-Marine (Rickles), the Muscle (Peter), and the Driver (Dean). With Giancarlo Esposito being the ringleader who unites the team, he essentially serves as Abigail’s version of Principal Vernon.

Consequently, Abigail’s “rat pack” puts a darker twist on The Breakfast Club’s “brat pack.”

While none of the people in the heist team had met before, Abigail brings them together under dire circumstances as they quickly learn that, despite their contrasting backgrounds, they’re not too different from one another. Furthermore, like the teens in The Breakfast Club, many were brought to the mansion after wrongdoings that stemmed from themes of parenthood and neglect; Sammy rebelled against her wealthy parents, Frank left his family after leaving the police force, Joey’s addiction led to distancing herself from her son, and the titular Abigail was ignored by her father for centuries. Consequently, Abigail’s “rat pack” puts a darker twist on The Breakfast Club’s “brat pack.”

Abigail Is A Great Example Of How To Remake John Hughes Movies Today

Extended homages work better than proper remakes

Abigail isn’t a proper remake of The Breakfast Club, but the homages to the 1985 comedy are undeniable and deeply ingrained in the horror film’s themes and dynamics. In an age where remakes of classic 1980s movies, such as this year’s Road House, have become commonplace, some beloved entries from that decade are still seen as untouchable when it comes to reboots, remakes, or legacy sequels. Among those often seen as either the most precious ‘80s classics or those too difficult to translate to modern audiences are the movies directed by John Hughes – none of which have been properly remade with a big budget or studio backing.

Abigail isn’t a proper remake of The Breakfast Club, but the homages to the 1985 comedy are undeniable and deeply ingrained in the horror film’s themes and dynamics.

Hughes’ biggest movies, like The Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Sixteen Candles, Pretty in Pink, Weird Science, and Uncle Buck, have largely gone untouched by other filmmakers since their releases in the 1980s. However, they’ve often provided great templates for more recent movies’ stories and character dynamics, which give such films the essence of a remake without strictly falling under that label. For instance, in addition to Abigail being a Breakfast Club-like horror vehicle, 2017’s Spider-Man: Homecoming has many of the calling cards of being a Ferris Bueller’s Day Off remake with plenty of homages throughout.

The Breakfast Club Isn't The Only Classic '80s Movie That Abigail Pays Homage To

Abigail takes inspiration from various other movies from the decade

Abigail also thrives off references and homages to ‘80s movies other than The Breakfast Club, the most notable of which is The Lost Boys (1987). Abigail’s approach to its horror-comedy blend and vampire lore is clearly inspired by The Lost Boys, from the vampire character styles and designs to how it humorously upends the vampire “rules” established by other movies, shows, and media. Furthermore, Abigail pulls from other ‘80s movies like Near Dark, and although released in 1990, it’s difficult to ignore comparisons to the John Hughes-written movie Home Alone.

Source: Rotten Tomatoes